We are very excited to share our latest Client Spotlight, featuring Laura and Captain Flosse Dog's Pet Service in Pittsburgh, PA! Founded by owner and operator, Laura, Captain Flosse Dog's Pet Service focuses on providing safe and compassionate pet care to the Pittsburgh community.
Laura and her fantastic team are fully licensed, insured, bonded, and undoubtedly, animals lovers! Captain Flosse Dog's Pet Service wants to make sure that every pet parent has peace of mind while away from their beloved pets! Offering various services like dog walks, pet sitting, pet taxi, small animal care, and overnights, Laura and her team have the perfect service plan for every lucky pet they care for! You can see some of those happy pets right here, the Captain Flosse Dog's photo gallery.
Laura has always loved animals, and everything involved in taking care of them. Growing up, Laura would care for any animal she encountered. With a constant parade of dogs, cats, fish, and chickens around, people often said Laura's house was "basically a zoo." There was never a doubt that she was passionate about caring for all types of lovable pets! Now, in addition to owning her own business and doing what she loves, Laura can create jobs for other animal lovers that share her passion. She looks forward to growing her business and her team while continuing to provide fantastic pet care! So, if you are in the Pittsburgh area and need quality care for your sweet fur babies—or birds, fish, lizards, and any other type of pet—look no further! Make sure to visit the Captain Flosse Dog's Pet Service website and check them out on Facebook and Instagram!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
Ever since I was old enough to be allowed to leave the house and walk to the neighbor's to take care of their dog, I've been involved in some kind of pet sitting. I grew up first with cats, and finally when I was about 11 years old, we got our first dog. I'll never forget how excited I was and how much I loved every moment of watching my dog Oyster grow up. Since then, the zoo has continued to grow with more cats, dogs, fish, and now chickens. I always felt there was nothing more fun than spending the day taking care of pets, and as I've grown, I've seen what a difference pets make in our lives, and I'm honored to have the privilege of being their caretaker.
Oyster is now an older senior guy who can't do quite as much as he used to, but you'd be amazed how fast he can move when you've got a pizza crust or popcorn! He's the inspiration for the dog in our logo.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
I find this career so wonderful because we are able to provide this service to so many more people than I imagined when I first started. When you are only one person, you can only do so much, and it's easy to get burned out. But when you start training a team of pet professionals to work with you, there is so much more you can offer to people. It brings me so much joy that when we conduct our visits, it's rejuvenating to both the pet and the sitter. It's a lot of fun to see how my staff and the animals we care for build relationships. That also makes our clients feel extra special.
What is the most challenging?
There are definitely some challenges, and I would say one of the biggest ones right now is finding the right staff to add to the team. It requires a lot of time to train new people and get the current clients used to the new face, and that's why it's really important to make sure the right person is hired. It's a very odd time right now with so many people looking for employees, so I know myself and this industry are not alone in struggling to find good ways to seek out new team members. It really makes me all the more thankful for the wonderful staff members I have right now and makes me work extra hard to make sure they are happy.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I think there is a real potential for all pet sitters to have an incredible amount of growth in the next few years. That's a good and bad thing because I've gone through phases of growing a little too fast and feeling very overwhelmed. So many people have jumped into the world of owning pets, and they will be in need of caretakers who they trust. I think if you find a good balance of only taking on what you can handle and knowing when to say no, there's no limit to how much you can grow. I'm hoping we will be able to continue adding team members, and I'd hope to see us cover more service areas and create new services to suit what our clients are looking for. From the way things are going we are hoping to take over the state of PA in the coming years!
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
TTP was a game-changer for me! I had been doing everything from invoicing to scheduling to keeping track of staff separately for about a year. When I discovered TTP, I found everything I was looking for in one place, plus so much more! Since I have used it, it has saved me so much time, and I love how my staff and clients can communicate, so I don't have to be a go-between. When I brought someone on full-time to do my administrative work, getting her acclimated to the system was a breeze since it's all fairly straightforward and easy to use. Now she's even learned more about TTP than myself and is able to make life go smoother for both our clients and me. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I would have used it for just myself without staff if I had known years ago. I also appreciate all the updates that continually happen to improve the system for everyone. Can't say enough good things!
